For high-speed data communication over a communication link between a digital front-end and an electronic writer located inside a hostile environment (from an EMI sense), such as in an electrophotographic printer, sparking of high-voltage chargers either due to contamination on the charger itself or due to hole formation on the photosensitive drum can cause image data corruption and image artifacts on the prints. Typically printing systems stop verifying the integrity of the control signals and image data at the output of the digital front-end. As the speed of the printer goes up, the exposure control and image integrity become more critical and are more susceptible to corruption. As noted in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0024907, to improve the reliability of data transmitted in a high-speed communications link under a hostile environment redundant control words per line may be used in the transmitted data to ensure that the start of line signal is recognized even if there is some corruption to control words so as to prevent system crash in printing. The typical digital front-end trusts the image data arrives at the print head uncorrupted. If image corruption does occur and image artifacts are then created on the print, the system has no means of knowing about the corruption or of determining if the system has a need for maintenance prior to waiting for the printed output being so poor that the operator initiates a call for service.
From the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that there remains a need within the art for a method and apparatus that can maintain printer performance while maintaining exposure control and image integrity wherein data is transmitted in a noisy environment that does cause some corruption and also provide early identification of the need for service or maintenance.